As History gets ready for the premiere of new miniseries Roots, the channel teamed up with FamilySearch International and the Freedmen’s Bureau Project to help African American families reconnect with their ancestors by transcribing thousands of digitized historical records.

Roots recounts one family’s struggle to survive and preserve their name against the injustice of slavery. But nearly 4 million other names and stories have been lost to slavery over time.

History’s “Reading for Roots” campaign asks the public to help transcribe the names and dates from historical records to return the identities of a forgotten generation.

Roots is an A&E Studios production in association with Marc Toberoff and the Wolper Organization. The miniseries is a remake of the 1977 miniseries of the same name, based on the 1976 novel by Alex Haley.

Roots premieres over four consecutive nights at 9 p.m. starting Memorial Day, Monday, May 30 .

RELATED: ‘Roots’ Miniseries on Slavery to Premiere with 4-Night Memorial Day Event Series

Tags:


  Save as PDF